Bhubaneswar, April 30: Women touched base with Odia traditions at Shreshta Odiani (the best Odia woman) pageant that was hosted from April 1 to 14 in the city.

The contest brought out the virtues of Odia women to the forefront through various interesting events.

The winners were announced on Sunday at the Ekamra Haat where they were felicitated.

Around 80 women from all over the state took part in the pageant that had six rounds.

From creating patterns of jhoti or designs on the floor with rice paste and muruja or rice powder to making paan with betel leaves and a host of other ingredients and then packing it the perfect way, there were many challenging events for the women aged between 22 and 62.

“I loved the various little things girls knew and boys could never do in our village. I understand today there is much more freedom for girls which is essential, but the folk songs or the fun hulahuli, the traditional attire, these are things we could teach our girls today. I am sure they would enjoy these just like we did decades back,” said the oldest participant Snehalata Pati.

Hulahuli or the sound created by rolling the tongue during auspicious rituals, conch blowing or sankha phunka, preparing pitha pana or country cakes, cooking ghanta — an Odia vegetable curry, reading ancient texts or purana abrutti, quoting folk idioms or dhaga dhamali and Odiani bhesa bhusa or being dressed up in typical Odia attire were other rounds of the contest.

Professor of Odia at Utkal University, Santosh Tripathy, artists Gajendra Padhi, Subrat Mallick and Chintamani Biswal were the members of the jury.

Bijayalaxmi Sha emerged the winner of the contest while many others won awards for various catagories.

“It was an amazing experience to try a hand at something we have been completely out of touch with living in the urban style. I got to learn so much from other participants and the resource persons as well as judges. The written round for idioms and cooking was challenging as was the question and answer round,” said Sha.

The popularity of the contest is growing, said Deba Parija, one of the organisers.

“We wish to remind people of the Odia folk traditions that defined our social ways. It is encouraging to see the response of women from all over the state,” he said.